Dovetailing machine



June 19, 1934. R. H. cRoucH 1,963,889y

DOVETAILING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 8. 1930 3 Smeets-Sheet l June 19,1934. R H. CROUCH 1,963,889

DOVETAILING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 8. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 19, 1934. R. H. cRoUcH 1363,889 DOVETAILING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 8. 1930 3 Shee'cs-SheerI 3 Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES DOVETAILING MACHINE Richard H. Crouch, Pulaski, Va.

Refled for abandoned application Serial No. 494,419, November 8, 1930. This application November 13, 1933, Serial 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in dove-tailing machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of an improved construction for formving dove-tail notches in the ends of boards or the like, particularly to be used in the making of boxes where it is desired to connect the boards forming the sides of the boxes together by means of dove-tail joints. This invention provides the notches in the ends of the boards to permit them to be tted together' in this way. l

This application is reled for my abandoned application Serial No. 494,419, led November .8, 1930.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the machine, parts being in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig'. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a detail partial sectional View of one of the cutters.

The invention is designed to be supported in any suitable manner by means of a machine frame, wall or the like, designated by the numeral 1,

.to which a supporting post 2 is bolted or rigidly secured and carries top and bottom horizontal plates 3 and 4 respectively. A casing 5 extends around the edges of the plates 3 and 4, being attached to the sides of the post 2 for enclosing the driving mechanism for the machine.

A driving motor 6 is mounted within the casing 5, as by means of a bracket 7 extending outwardly from the post 2 and has its armature shaft supported upon a ball bearing 8 carried by an adjustable bracket 9 mounted in the plate 4, as shown in Fig. 1. The armature shaft is designated by the numeral 10 and is connected with a drive-shaft 11 by a loose coupling 12, permitting relative longitudinal movement therebetween. The drive-shaft 11 is journaled in a bracket plate 13 and in an arm 14 at its upper end, the arm 14 being carried by the top plate 3 while the bracket plate 13 extends outwardly from and is carried by the post 2 intermediate the plates 3 and 4.

A bottom head 15 is journaled in the bracketplate 13, being supported upon ball-bearings 16 for turning movement about the shaft 11 as a center and relative thereto, being disconnected or free from said shaft.

One or more pinions 21 are xed to one or morev of the spindles 19, and these pinions 21 mesh with a gear 22 keyed 0r otherwise xed to the driveshaft 11. The spindles 19 are all geared together through a train of gears 23, so that the spindles 19 are all turned by means of the shaft 11 about their individual axes Within the heads 15 and 17 and at the same speed.

The upper ends of the spindles 19 carry cutting` bits 24, which form the notches in the work. The heads l5 and 17 are turned about the shaft 11 as an axis, in order to impart to the bits 24 rotation about their individual axes as well as about the axis of the shaft 11. For this purpose the heads 15.and 17 are formed with gear-teeth 25 and 26, respectively, meshing with pinions 27 and 28 mounted on a shaft 29 extending vertically through the plates 3 and 13, and at the lower end this shaft 29 is connected through beveled gears 30 with a stub-shaft 31 shown in Fig. 5. Y

A worm-Wheel 32 is Xed on` the shaft 31 and meshes with a Worm 33 mounted on the armature shaft 10. This causes rotation of the heads 15 and 17, carrying the spindles 19 and cutter-bits 24 in the orbit about the axis of the drive-shaft 11.

In the operation of the machine, a table 34 is disposed beside the head 17, as shown in Fig. 2, over Which the boards B are guided for operation by the bits 24 in order to cut the notches b in the ends of the boards.

The motor 6 drives the shaft 11 to rotate the gears 22, 21 and 23 respectively, which causes simultaneous rotation of all of the spindles 19 and the cutter-bits 24 upon their individual axes, while the-armature shaft 10 turning the worm 33 and worm-wheel 32 causes rotation of the shaft 29, which is geared to both of the heads 15 and 17 to rotate those heads and carry the cutters 24 in an orbit around the shaft 11 as a center. Accordingly, as the board B is moved past the head 17, one ormore of the bits 24 cut their way into the edge of the board B and the board B is moved along with the movement of the cutterbit 24 in its orbital movement, and, by reason of its rotation about its individual axis, it causes the formation of one of the notches b in the end of the board.

As the board is moved along, it Will be engaged by a plurality of the cutter-bits 24 for forming the separate notches in the end of the board. The size and spacing of these notches will depend upon the number and size of the bits used.

In this way, this invention provides for the forming of dove-tail notches in the ends of boards, in a simple operation of merely moving the boards through the machine. The machine is simple in structure and effectively accomplishes the formation of the dove-tail notches.

I claim:

1. A Wood working machine comprising a supporting structure, at least two heads journaled in said structure, spindles journaled in the heads for rotation about their individual axes, cutters carried by the spindles, gearing connecting all of the spindles together for uniform rotation, a motor, a main drive-shaft connected With the motor, gearing for driving the spindles from the drive-shaft, Worm-gearing connected with the main drive-shaft, a driven shaft connected with the Worm gearing, and gearing connecting said driven shaft with both heads for imparting ro- Y v tary turning movement to the heads and moving the cutters in an orbit about a common axis.

in said structure, spindles 2. A wood Working machine comprising supporting structure, at least two heads journaled journaled in both heads,` cutters carried by said spindles, gear-teeth carried by the peripheries or" the heads, gearing connecting all of the spindles together for simultaneous and uniform rotation about their individual axes, a drive-gear for rotating the spindles, a driving motor, a drive-shaft Aconnected With the motor and With said driving gear, worm gearing connected with said drive-shaft, and a driven shaft connected with said Worm-gearing and geared to the peripheral gear-teeth carried by the heads for imparting rotary movement to the cutters in an orbit about a common axis.

3. AY Wood Working machine comprising a support, horizontal supporting arms carried thereby in spaced relation, a rotary head journaled in each of said supporting arms, a vertical driveshaft extending through the rotary heads, spindles journaled. in the heads parallel with the drive-shaft, a train of gears connecting the spindles together, means forming a driving connection between the drive-shaft and spindles, cutters carried by the upper ends of the spindles, and a table placed adjacent said support so that a board may be passed along said table with its edge tangential to the rotary heads and intersecting the path of rotation of the cutters so thatrsuccessive cutters may enter and form a succession of notches in the edge of the board so passing.

4. A Wood working machine comprising supporting structure, a rotary head mounted thereon, spindles journaled in the head approximately in parallel relation, driving means for the spindles, and cutters carried by the ends of the spindles, in combination with a table placed adjacent said supporting structure so that a board may be passed along said table with its edge approximately tangential to the rotary head and intersecting the path of rotation of the cutters so that successive cutters may enter and form a succession of notches in the edge of the board so passing.

5. A wood working machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotary head mounted therein, upright spindles journaled in the head approximately in parallel relation, driving means for the spindles, cutters carried by the upper ends of the spindles, and means for causing rotary turning movement of the head tocause orbital movement of the cutters, in combination with a table placed adjacent said supporting structure so that a board may be passed along said table with its edge approximately tangential to the rotary head and intersecting the path of rotation of the cutters, so that successive cutters may enter and form a succession of notches in the edge of the board so passing. Y

6. A wood-Working machine comprising a rotary cutter-head carrying cutters, each of which is rotatably mounted therein for movement in an orbit, and driving means for the cutter-head and cutters, in combination With an adjacent material supporting surface on which a board may be moved relative to the cutter-head with its edge approximately tangential to the .cutterhead and intersecting the path of the cutters in such position that successive cutters may enter and form a succession of notches in the board soy passing.

RICHARD H. CROUCH. 

